September 07, 2016

Prince William Sound and the
Copper River Delta Area

Week of September 7 to September 13
Issued September 7, 2016

General Area Description: includes all waters between Cape Fairfield and Cape Suckling.

Regulation Reminders and Emergency Orders

Permits are mandatory for all non-commercial shrimp fisherman. Permits are available online or available at local Fish and Game offices and at select vendors. The sport /PU/ subsistence shrimp fishery closes on September 15.

Cordova Terminal Harvest Area is closed to snagging salmon from June 1 – September 30.

In Main Bay, sport fishing from a vessel that is within 60 feet of the Prince William Sound Aquaculture hatchery barrier seine, or from a vessel inside of the barrier seine is prohibited. Signs have been posted accordingly. The signs posted on either bank show the 60 foot line. Marker buoys may or may not be set 60 feet from the barrier seine.

Ibeck Creek is closed to all sport fishing upstream from a point 3 miles above the Copper River Highway.

CORDOVA STREAMS crossing the Copper River Highway from Eyak River to the Million Dollar Bridge: Once you reach your daily limit of coho salmon (3 fish), you may not fish with bait in any of these streams for the remainder of the day. A coho salmon that is removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the daily bag limit of the person who originally hooked the fish. A person may not remove a coho (silvers) salmon from the water before releasing it.

Fresh waters

Salmon

Silver fishing has picked up at Fleming Spit. Fishing around the high tide with lures has proved successful for anglers.

Remember: a coho salmon that is removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the daily bag limit of the person who originally hooked the fish. A person may not remove a coho (silvers) salmon from the water before releasing it.

Fishing in Ibeck Creek has been good. Water levels are dropped but are going to rise agaij with this weeks rain. Those anglers fishing lower in the system are doing better using bait but, fly fishers and those using spinning gear are also having good success when pulses of fish move through.

Fishing in Eyak River has improved with the drop in water levels. Remember: salmon fishing is not allowed in Eyak Lake.

Reminder: Power Creek in Cordova is closed to salmon fishing year-round.

The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby ended Sunday and the top fish were all over 17 lbs and caught just last week from the boat harbor and Allison Point! Effort is needed but you don’t need to travel far to get silvers if you are in Valdez.

Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling

Cutthroat and rainbow/steelhead trout fishing opened on June 15th. Try small spinners or nymph type flies.

Dolly Varden are present in many of the streams throughout Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Use fry/smolt imitation flies or small spinners at lake outlets or stream confluences. Anglers are reminded to check the Prince William Sound regulations on the legal size limit for retained trout in the area they are fishing.

Ruth Pond and Blueberry Lake are stocked with catchable size rainbow trout. Fishing at both locations has been great and fun for kids!

Salt waters

Halibut, Lingcod, and Rockfish

Weather was great over the weekend and anglers were able to get out further and have better success with larger halibut catches. Large halibut in the 140lb range were winners in the Valdez Halibut Derby this week.

Lingcod fishing has been slow. If you start getting into too many rockfish while targeting lingcod move to a new location and use a deepwater release mechanism once you have reached your bag limit of rockfish.

REMEMBER if you are targeting multiple species, target rockfish last, and use a deepwater release mechanism on all released rockfish (these devices can turn the chance of survival for a rockfish from near zero to near 100%!)

Coho fishing has picked up at Fleming Spit (Hippie Cove). The best time is a couple hours before or after high tide.

Silver fishing has been slow around PWS.

Shellfish

Shrimping continues to be productive throughout the Sound. Look for good habitat and depths in the 500-600’ range to set pots. Deeper waters are still proving more productive. Rocky terrain with steep drop offs are a good one to look for on charts. Don’t forget your shrimp permit. Permit needs to be in possession as you are shrimping. Also, remember that each vessel can only fish 4 pots. The last day of shrimp season is September 15.